


the road home

by popnographic



Series: Rarepair drabbles [27]
Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-08-22 08:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8279776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/popnographic/pseuds/popnographic
Summary: Kisumi makes a suggestion Haruka wouldn't have ever in his wildest dreams have thought of, and it takes him on a journey across southern Japan and in discovering a lot about himself and his travelling companion.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i've always wanted to write a roadtrip fic so here's one

There’s _something_ lingering in the air of this otherwise quiet, peaceful Sunday. Haruka doesn’t know what it is, but there’s _something_. Waiting to jump at him, like an unexpected phone call… but that isn’t it. Well, you can’t _expect_ unexpected phone calls, but Haruka knows there’s something else. And of _course_ there would be, when Kisumi’s in his house.

Haruka spends his Sunday afternoon as he so often does; painting, with the company of Kisumi who either uses his laptop and does whatever it is he does, or he’s watching TV with the volume on low as to not disturb Haruka. It’s nice, not much needs to fill the silence between them as they’re perfectly fine with just being each other’s company.

Haruka, having suffered from a major art block for the past few weeks, finally finds the inspiration in him to paint something, and while he does feel rusty, it feels good to be back in the swing of things. Doing something where he’s in full control of what he creates has always felt sort of empowering to him, and it’s a good thing he’s always been so artistically inclined.

Must be some sort of gene thing, but he still wouldn’t thank whichever parent gave him this artistic talent of his.

“Let’s go on a road trip this summer, Haru.”

And there it is. It wasn’t a phone call, it wasn’t anything that jumped out to try and scare him, it was _Kisumi_. Just as Haruka should’ve expected.

It’s a very sudden question slash statement Kisumi throws at him. But Haruka doesn’t take his eyes off the canvas, mostly because it’d mean him disturbing his _entire_ concentration on what he’s doing, and Kisumi’s already taken care of one half of it.

“Hm.”

“I’m serious! You do the same thing every summer; you barely even _experience_ summer as one’s supposed to.”

“I do too,” Haruka argues, still not looking away from the canvas in front of him. “I go down to the beach with you guys whenever you make me. And I swim in the ocean when Rin wants to race.”

Kisumi sighs, and Haruka hears him shake his head. “I mean, you don’t _experience_ things. Go anywhere. So let’s go on a road trip, hmm? We’ll take my car as a compromise—“

“To be fair,” Haruka interrupts, “your car _is_ better than mine.”

“Yeah, it is. But just hear me out. Let’s just drive somewhere. Sleep at shitty motels, go places we’ve never been to. We can take two weeks to just drive, you know?”

As weird as the idea is, Haruka can’t deny that it’s strangely enticing. He’ll only admit to himself that he may need a change of routine, even if it’d be temporary. It’d be good for his health, both physical _and_ mental, if anything. And there isn’t a thought more alluring than the idea of sleeping in sleazy motels off the side of the highway.

Well, there’s a first time for everything, as they say.

“Where would we even go?” he asks, putting down his paintbrush to finally face Kisumi and give up on a painting that won’t be, anyway. Stretching his upper body with a yawn, Kisumi shrugs.

“Let’s just decide on a direction and then just drive. If we wanna stop somewhere, we’ll stop. For the night, for an entire day or even longer, whatever.”

Haruka gives Kisumi a chance to take back his suggestion, because he wonders just _how_ long they’ll be able to put up with each other if they spend all their time together in a car. A few days? A week? Sounds generous. If Haruka’s going to do this, he’ll want to be on the road for a while, and not just a few days.

“What’re you even doing here? You have your own place,” he says.

“I like your place better. And I came here to ask you—“

“Fine, okay. We’ll go on a road trip.”

Haruka wouldn’t have a problem with leaving his house, even for an entire year. Sure, it might smell like no one’s lived there for a while when he first comes back, but he’s got big windows he can keep open for a while to let in some fresh air. Really, there’s nothing holding him back from doing this, not even his job.

Money wouldn’t really be an issue, seeing how his stubborn as ever so-called parents have sent him money monthly since they abandoned him before he turned sixteen and until he turned twenty. It _has_ gotten to a rather sizeable amount since Haruka’s been good about how to spend his money.

“Knew you’d come around,” Kisumi grins triumphantly as he lies down on the floor again and stretches out his arms. “First day of June sound like a good start date to you?”

“As long as we don’t need a passport.”

“And wigs, right?”

Haruka turns his head and looks at Kisumi with a raised eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

Kisumi laughs, shaking his head. “Nothing. Well, now we’ve got at least _part_ of our summer planned. This is gonna be so fun.”

“Hm,” Haruka responds, and goes to get rid of his canvas.

 

* * *

 

Haruka learns a thing or two about himself in preparation for this road trip he’s taking with Kisumi starting the next day. First thing is that he’s really bad at knowing what to pack other than his clothes and a toothbrush. Obviously money, but Haruka never forgets his wallet, so that isn’t really something he thinks about bringing. He wonders about toiletries; do even sleazy motels offer soap and shampoo? Haruka assumes they won’t, to save more money than they already are, so he packs his own.

With his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, Haruka leaves his apartment, locks the door and heads down the stairs to the street where Kisumi’s waiting for him by his car. It’s a Fiat of an old model, a hand-me-down from Kisumi’s dad. It’s ugly, but as Kisumi says, it gets the job done, gets you from point A to B.

So maybe it’ll do fine for their road trip, even if it isn’t the kind of car Haruka would’ve expected to ride in for such a thing.

“You know,” he says, unceremoniously shoving his bag in the back of the car, “I thought you’d bring a lot more. Two bags, at least.”

Kisumi snorts in obvious offence, warranted. “Haru, I know we won’t be staying in fancy hotels and having expensive dinners every night. ‘Sides, I can wash my clothes in the sink.”

“Even if the motel has fleas and is dirty?”

“Are you trying to make me reconsider?”

“How could I _ever_ pull that off?” Haruka asks, sitting down in the car and shutting the door. Kisumi joins him, and starts the engine. “It was your idea to begin with.”

“Exactly. Which means you won’t be _able_ to make me reconsider. I’m in until we come back here, whenever that’ll be.”

“Well, so am I.”

“Good.”

Haruka stifles a laugh as Kisumi drives away from his apartment building, pouting ever so slightly as if he’s trying to hide the fact that he’s miffed. Haruka just _knows_ he’s going to enjoy this road trip, and not just because of his company but because it’s the first one he’ll ever have experienced.

Strange, for a guy who’s turned twenty-six and has had a job ever since he graduated high school. He’s always had the money for it, but never actually had the _idea_ pop into his head. It isn’t really an idea he would have to begin with—it’s more of a Kisumi thing. Maybe Rin, too, but Rin would get tired of it faster than Kisumi would.

And if not just Haruka, it’ll do them both good to be away from Iwatobi for a while. Away from everything they know to experience something new. Maybe even get lost on the way, stop at places they didn’t plan on even driving past. Never before has freedom sounded so good.

Haruka fastens his seatbelt, and almost immediately eyes the fuel meter, which Kisumi notices.

“Yes, I did fill up the tank before I came to get you. Don’t worry, Haru, I came prepared. Even if it may not look like I did, since you’re judging the size of my bag.”

“I’m just gonna ignore the brilliant opportunity you just gave me to turn that into a dirty joke,” he says. “It isn’t that I don’t trust you’d come unprepared, Kisumi. I’m just used to other people around me doing so. You know how they are; Makoto, Rin, even Sousuke at times. Less likely, but still.”

Kisumi laughs. “Sousuke’s usually on top of things, yeah. Maybe I’m learning from him.”

As soon as they get out on the road and leave Tottori behind them, Haruka feels lighter. They’ve rolled down the windows, and the wind feels really nice in a car that would otherwise be a sauna in the summer heat. The sun’s still high in the sky, and of course, it isn’t as if they’re in a hurry, so they’ve got plenty of time left in the day to just drive, with the occasional visit to rest stops and fast-food places.

The first rest stop they reach is infested with cockroaches, and Haruka laughs as Kisumi returns to the car still screeching and patting his clothes down in search of any critters that may have crawled in to hitch a ride.

“No fan of bugs, huh.”

“Well jeez, no _kidding_ , Haru. That obvious? Anything smaller than my fist and with more than two legs deserves to die a painful death.”

Haruka shrugs, leaning back in his seat. “I’m used to them. Cockroaches are common where I used to live.”

“Oh yeah? Well _some_ of us didn’t grow up with cockroaches as our best friends.”

“Snob.”

“Now I understand why Sousuke sometimes says he hates you,” Kisumi bites back.

While he’s tempted, Haruka doesn’t laugh, and Kisumi drives away from cockroach paradise, further south. Their current plan, which isn’t set in stone, is to reach Kyushu by the end of the next day, maybe in two days. Haruka’s never been, but has heard a lot about Fukuoka, among other cities, and would love to see what the city has to offer.

Driving along the coast provides them with a beautiful view, the scent of the sea, and when no other cars are driving by them, they can hear the waves crashing into shore. It’s peaceful, and it’s a really good way to start off their road trip. An advantage to living by the coast is not having to drive through cities and get stuck in traffic jams on their way out; Haruka figures that would be a pretty good way of getting them tired of this road trip before it’s even gotten to begin properly.

They stop for the first night in Nagato, as they’d expected in a cheap motel by the highway where they can hear cars going by loud and clear from the room they’re allocated. There’s two single beds, and they’re very small. Haruka wonders if Kisumi’s going to fit considering his height; there isn’t really any other place besides the floor where Kisumi could sleep.

The greasy junk food they’d gotten on the way to the motel wasn’t anywhere near filling or even all that tasty to Haruka, but he supposes this is what people call part of ‘the charm of road trips’. He just hopes they won’t make it into a habit of eating hamburgers on the trip, and makes a mental note to persuade Kisumi into healthier choices.

After a quick shower, Haruka finds Kisumi already asleep in the bed he’d taken, and it seems that bed did fit him just fine, even if it’s right at the limit. Six hours of driving _would_ make Kisumi fall asleep first—it’s a wonder he hadn’t collapsed in the shower.

It doesn’t really start being interesting until they finally arrive in Fukuoka and, albeit slowly, drive through the city located at the very top of the southernmost island. Despite the traffic that drives Haruka crazy really quick despite not being the driver, Kisumi is humming a tune Haruka doesn’t recognise, and he’s just being his usual, cheery self. Haruka just doesn’t understand _how_ he’s able to keep his cool when they’ve now been stuck in practically the same spot for half an hour, moving maybe three inches in that time span.

Maybe this is Kisumi’s method of staying sane. Maybe he _wants_ to give into road rage and yell profanities out the window at the cars in front of them causing this traffic jam to begin with. Or maybe it’s simply Haruka hoping this is the case, that he’d have someone with him who is of the same sentiment.

“If we get out of this,” Haruka says, “the first thing I want is food. I’m so hungry.”

“Yeah, I am, too. We’ll find some place to eat… sometime.”

“Some _day_ ,” Haruka corrects sarcastically, and Kisumi laughs.

Really, this was to be expected of one of the most popular and _populated_ cities on Kyushu. A lot of people wanting to get into the city, maybe even a bunch of people trying to get _out_ , bless their souls. Still, Haruka’s never been here before, and while this traffic jam tempts him to force Kisumi to make a U-turn so they can leave before they’ve even properly arrived, he tries to stay patient.

The congestion finally lets up a bit when they’ve been moving a few metres in almost an hour. Haruka sighs loudly in relief as they drive further down into the city, and now focuses on trying to spot a restaurant he might want to eat lunch at. Kisumi will eat practically anywhere as he isn’t picky, but since Haruka is, he’s usually the one who gets to pick where they eat whenever they hang out.

In Hakata, Kisumi and Haruka both eat tempura udon at a little noodle restaurant before they continue driving toward an actual hotel where they’ll spend the night. Not too expensive, but still something better than the motel they’d stayed at the night prior.

“I’m pretty sure I still have fleas sucking me dry,” Kisumi complains, and Haruka snorts.

“Didn’t know dogs could drive.”

“ _Bed bugs_ , Haru. They’d probably even gnaw on you despite how sour you tend to be, even if you aren’t a dog.”

“Woof.”

 

* * *

 

Following some kind of breakfast, courtesy of a Seven Eleven knockoff, they decide on driving down to Saga city, which is just over an hour drive away from their hotel. It had definitely been a lot better than the motel, and Haruka hadn’t had to listen to Kisumi whine for once.

Haruka and Kisumi stop for lunch at a place right in between Fukuoka and their destination for the day. There’s both Japanese seafood dishes _and_ French cuisine, which excites Kisumi more than it does Haruka. It’s a good thing there’s something for the both of them, though.

“You should broaden your tastes, Haru,” Kisumi remarks as he looks with what almost looks like pity at Haruka’s plate of mackerel on rice with a bowl of miso on the side. “Here, taste this.”

Haruka, in turn, looks at Kisumi’s food with mild horror and disgust, and scrunches his nose. He can’t even _identify_ half of the stuff on Kisumi’s plate, and he’s actually somewhat interested in cooking. “I’m good, thanks. I’m not adventurous like you when it comes to food; I like it plain, simple, and recognisable.”

Kisumi rolls his eyes. “Stubborn as ever, I see. Fine.”

When they’re on the road again, Kisumi almost immediately rolls down his window, and puts on his sunglasses. Haruka leans back in his seat and exhales, closing his eyes. The wind coming in through the window feels nice in this near-scorching summer heat, especially when there’s few cars around and they can drive a little faster on the highway.

“You know, we _can_ switch if you’re tired of driving,” Haruka suggests, glancing at Kisumi to his side. The sunlight makes Kisumi’s hair look a lighter, softer pink, like cotton candy, and not like the strawberry gum Haruka’s associated it with for so long. It also highlights his facial features, like his distinct jawline and the curves of his lips—

—which is something Haruka normally wouldn’t look at in a person, and he wonders why now, of all times, he’d do such a thing. He blinks himself out of his reverie, and turns to look straight ahead of them instead. The road is nearly empty, and it allows for Kisumi to point a metaphorical middle finger at the speed limit signs, which Haruka doesn’t have anything against. Kisumi is a good, responsible driver, despite his sometimes questionable behaviour and personality.

“I’m good. I really like to drive, actually,” Kisumi replies. “Some kinda liberating feeling that comes with it. And I also don’t trust you to drive my car.”

Haruka snorts, mildly offended. “Really. While you’re a good driver, I bet you I’m better.”

“If I say ‘tree,’ will you give up this argument?”

As if by some strange, negative kind of conditioning triggered by a simple word such as ‘tree’, Haruka flinches ever so slightly. Foul play doesn’t even begin to explain it. While it isn’t necessarily a bad memory of sorts, it _is_ something he’ll probably remember for a very long time. Especially if Kisumi’s gonna be one of those to continuously remind him of it.

To be fair, he hadn’t had much sleep that night, and last time he checked, that tree _hadn’t_ stood in that spot. It’s definitely someone’s idea of a fun prank. On the other hand, maybe he should’ve paid better attention since he _had_ been stubborn enough to drive while sleep deprived. _Maybe_.

“It happened _once_ , but fine. I’ll give up, but just this one time.”

In the corner of his eye, Haruka sees Kisumi grin victoriously. Kisumi should definitely consider himself lucky as he’s currently driving a car, because Haruka can’t kick him in the shin in this situation or they might not make it home in one piece once they decide to drive back to Iwatobi.

A phone vibrates next to Haruka, and he flinches, which makes Kisumi laugh a little. “Could you read that? Sounded like a text.”

Haruka picks Kisumi’s phone out from the cup holder, and reads a text that’s from Makoto, surprisingly enough. “Makoto asks if we’re doing okay and if we’ve seen anything interesting.”

Kisumi lets out a _huh_ , and raises his eyebrows. “Surprised he’d text _me_ to ask such a thing.”

“Why not? You’re friends.”

“Yeah, but _you’re_ with me.”

Haruka sighs with a roll of his eyes. “This thing is gonna haunt me for the rest of my life, huh. Makoto probably texts you partly because he knows I hate dealing with phones to begin with. At least he knows he’ll get a response from _you_.”

“Fair enough. Well, unless you’re willing to type away even a short reply, that’ll have to wait.”

Haruka decides to actually respond to Makoto’s text message; telling him they’re still alive and that they’re getting to see ‘sights they’ve never seen before’. He doesn’t even mind that there’s a possibility of Rin chewing his head off for that one once they return back home.

He puts the phone back in the cup holder and leans back in his seat. Kisumi’s comment still bothers him, and he knows he won’t be able to let it go unless he pesters Kisumi about it. It isn’t like him, but he’s already accepted the fact that his friends always have and always will affect him in some way. This is probably something he’s gotten from Nagisa.

“Don’t you and Makoto hang out regularly?”

Kisumi laughs. “You’re still hung up on that? We do. Quite a lot, actually. Why?”

“You seemed like you _don’t_. Like you and Makoto are just acquaintances or something.”

“Well, he’s better friends with you. Really, Haru, I was just surprised he’d text me instead of you. There’s no deep reason for it.”

Haruka remembers how Kisumi had been around and with Makoto when they were still in school, since young years. Several times during their childhood, Haruka has to admit that he’s gotten jealous, and sometimes he imagined Kisumi to have done things on purpose to elicit a reaction from him. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t—but Haruka never asked and wouldn’t ask now, either.

Then it just kind of hits him, after all these years, that maybe his interpretation was completely off.

“Remember in middle school when you tried to get us to join the basketball team?” Haruka asks. Kisumi glances at him for a second before he turns his eyes back on the road, and he smiles a little.

“I do. You were so stubborn… and I guess you still are. Some things never change.”

“What if Makoto would’ve joined?”

“What do you mean ‘what if’?”

_Would Makoto have sat here instead?_

“Just asking,” Haruka replies, shrugging. “I mean, it was obvious you were hoping for that. I just wondered why—“

“Oh my god, a rest stop, finally,” Kisumi says, followed by a relieved exhale. “I’ve been needing to take a piss for _ages_ now.”

Haruka blinks, slightly offended but mostly confused by the interruption. Only then does he realise they haven’t hit a rest stop at _all_ today, and it could definitely be useful now that they’re about halfway through the day already.

So instead of continuing on the subject, Haruka drops it, and lets Kisumi drive them towards a rest stop in silence.

Funny, this is something Haruka would’ve expected out of Makoto, not Kisumi. He probably has his reasons, though, and Haruka’s never been one to push; he knows better than that. He might push a little should Kisumi not choose to revisit the subject soon and if Haruka’s curiosity keeps growing to the point where he can’t ignore it any longer, but if Kisumi doesn’t want to talk about it, Haruka will know.

Saga city has a lot more to offer than either of them had expected as they started driving through, so they decide to park the car and take a look around for a bit. There’s a pachinko parlour which Kisumi convinces Haruka to come with him into. It turns out not to be so bad, because they leave with just over a thousand yen in winnings. It might not be the biggest sum, but at least it pays for the little souvenirs they decide to buy to the younger people they know; Kisumi’s brother and Makoto’s siblings, and then Gou, despite her only being a year younger than them.

When it’s getting dark, the two decide on trying to find a motel nearby to spend the night, but to their horror, all they see are love hotels, and the regular kind, which they’re trying to avoid at least for the night. Haruka know there’s no way in hell he and Kisumi are gonna be allowed to spend the night in a love hotel even if they swear on not doing any of the things that people are almost _expected_ to at such a place, so before it gets too late to book a room anywhere, they give up and decide on a smaller hotel right by an izakaya.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Kisumi says as they’re dropping their stuff off in the room. “Why don’t we go down to the izakaya? I’ve never been at one on Kyushu.”

“Have you been at one on Hokkaido?” Haruka counters, and Kisumi grins.

“No. That’s something I’m saving for another day. Unless you wanna drive up—”

“Let’s just go,” Haruka sighs, and Kisumi laughs at him.

It’s nice, though; the izakaya isn’t too big but they can still sit and talk without getting disturbed by noise around them. For rarity’s sake, Haruka orders a beer, and Kisumi clinks his beer glass to Haruka’s.

“What’re we toasting to?”

“Uh… making memories?”

Haruka laughs at that. “Yeah, we’re definitely gonna remember this trip for a while.”

They roll into Kumamoto the following afternoon after only having stopped for brunch at a little diner along the way, and Haruka realises just how much he misses the smaller towns. Through a quick search on his phone, he finds out Kumamoto is _really_ big, at least compared to the small town he’s from. He doesn’t associate road trips with big cities; he thinks of shitty motels, of endless highways with little to no traffic, and of little diners on the side of the road with questionable food items on the menu.

Which is why his mood drops significantly as they decide to check into a hotel for the night right in the hustle and bustle of Kumamoto. But Haruka isn’t one to complain today, he knows they’ll be out of there after breakfast at latest the following morning, so he can deal with it. Besides, maybe staying in a nice hotel every now and then could be a good and healthy break from the motels.

He gets a very familiar feeling from this entire thing, from the moment they step inside the doors to the hotel reception. And it hits him just _why_ it feels familiar when they open the door to their hotel room and walk inside.

“Only one bed? Oh, this’ll be interesting, Haru. You sure you wanna do this? Or do you wanna play jan-ken about who takes the floor with a blanket and a pillow?”

Haruka rolls his eyes. “I’m not worried; _you_ should be, the way you kick in your sleep.”

Kisumi’s reaction is definitely expected given his personality, though this scene brings back humorous memories for Haruka from his high school days and… maybe a less bright and happy time in his life.

“I shared a bed with Rin once. His reaction was the exact opposite of yours,” he says.

“Oh? How’s so?”

“Well, he acted like the world was ending and demanded we get a new room with separate beds. _I_ didn’t mind, of course, seeing as we’re childhood friends and all.”

“You’d sleep with Rin?” Kisumi asks, laughing as he sets his bag down on the floor by the foot of the bed. Haruka shudders.

“God no. In the same bed, yes—which we did have to do in the end since they were fully booked. But no, I wouldn’t fuck him.”

Haruka is in no mood to explore a big city at night, so he convinces Kisumi to order room service with him. They eat while watching TV, and Haruka would _definitely_ consider that a good way to spend the evening. If they _really_ want to, they can stay in Kumamoto a little longer tomorrow to explore and see what’s around, so he doesn’t feel bad about staying in tonight.

It’s still a little strange to think about the fact that he’s on a road trip with _Kisumi_ of all people. Sure, it may sound pessimistic of him to say that he didn’t expect them to get this far, but he didn’t really know what to expect once they drove away from his house in Iwatobi nearly a week ago.

Kisumi showers before him, and when Haruka returns from his shower, Kisumi’s already tucked in bed, lying on his back with his phone a little too close to his face. Haruka shakes his head as he goes to put on some underwear and a shirt, and then he joins Kisumi under the covers.

“I think we should head to Miyazaki tomorrow,” Kisumi says. “And then head back north.”

Haruka hums in thought. “Never heard much about Miyazaki, but I’ll go along with your plan since I don’t have one myself. Anything in particular you wanna see?”

“Mmm, not really—I’ve just heard it’s supposed to be nice. Oh, there _is_ a mall there; we could get some of essentials we didn’t get in Saga while we’re in the area. Instead of getting things from small shops along the road, I mean.”

Haruka smiles, remembering how Kisumi’s latest purchase had turned out. His sunglasses had slipped off his face and down onto the floor while Kisumi was driving, and since neither of them could really pick them up in a moving car, they put off retrieving the sunglasses when they’d finally stop for the evening. Kisumi _did_ retrieve his glasses once he’d turned off the engine, but after having rolled in under the brake pedal, they were no longer usable.

“Seems like we’ll have a lot of sunshine tomorrow, too, so I’d bet you’ll want to wear sunglasses when driving.”

Kisumi whines. “Those were my favourite pair, too. I shouldn’t have kept them on my head.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.”

Haruka listens to the faint humming of their room’s air conditioning unit. He isn’t all that tired yet, but doesn’t want to keep Kisumi up if _he_ is. Driving drains energy more than you’d think it would, considering you’re basically just sitting for hours on end without exerting much physical effort.

“Hey, Kis,” he continues. “I wanna try and find an onsen tomorrow. In Miyazaki, I mean.”

Kisumi laughs again, and Haruka smiles to himself. “An onsen in the middle of summer? You’re really something, Haru. Besides, I bet that’ll be expensive.”

“If money’s the issue, I’ll pay for the both of us. It’s just that I rarely visit any hot springs, you know? Might as well. If you want to, of course.”

“Actually, it sounds like a great idea. Yeah, let’s find some place in Miyazaki tomorrow. Hopefully they’ll have a room vacant _somewhere_.”

 

* * *

 

It’s their last day on Kyushu, and it’s a little sad. Haruka doesn’t know just how far up north they’ll go before they decide it’s time to head back home, but he thinks it won’t be all that long. Now that he’s been on the road for over a week, he’s gotten kind of used to the idea of constantly moving around, and while his past self from ten years ago would internally scream in horror at the idea, his present self actually kind of likes it. No, _really_ likes it. Permanency isn’t always a good thing. This is a kind of freedom Haruka’s sought after for so long.

They stuff themselves full with as much breakfast as they can before they check out of the hotel, and then head out on the road again. It’s a three-hour long drive to Miyazaki, so they’ll have plenty of time to explore the town before nightfall, and hopefully also being able to secure a room at an onsen or at least a ryokan.

Haruka misses the coastline, seeing the ocean and not just city after city seemingly void of sea water. He feels like a fish drying up on the side of the road, but is soon happy to see that the city of Miyazaki is located right by the sea. He inhales through his nose, closes his eyes in contentment as he smells the sea.

“Missed this, huh?” Kisumi asks.

“I did. I guess Iwatobi really isn’t that bad, after all.”

Kisumi laughs a little. “No, it definitely isn’t. Being away from home sure puts things in perspective.”

The first ryokan they find are fully booked for the night, so instead of continuing their search immediately, Kisumi and Haruka stop for lunch in a quieter part of town. It’s relatively close to a park, so there’s a few people walking either with their dogs or with baby strollers around. It’s very nice, and surprising for a city as big and populated as Miyazaki.

Something Haruka’s realised within the last few years is the joy of coming to a new place and exploring it, discovering new things. Up until Rin had dragged him to Australia, Haruka’s world perspective was similar to that of a goldfish stuck in a tiny bowl for its entire, short, life.

And while he’s still in Japan now, he’s definitely learnt that there’s a _lot_ of places and things outside of Iwatobi he has yet to discover. And he _wants_ to. He’d originally been lukewarm about the idea of going on a road trip, but now that he’s been away from home for a week and a half, rarely staying in the same place for more than a day, he realises that this is something he’d want to do more often. To be less permanent, to constantly discover new things and places.

“I think I could see myself living here,” Kisumi muses, leaning his chin on his hand, elbow resting on the table. “It’s very pretty.”

Haruka looks out over the seemingly endless sea stretching out in front of them, and he exhales slowly. “It kind of reminds me of home, but it’s still different.”

“Exactly. I don’t think I’m ready to give up living close to the sea and go live in an apartment in the city just yet. This would be a good start, though. It isn’t home, but it _reminds_ me of home.”

“Are you saying you wanna move away from Iwatobi?”

Kisumi shrugs. “I’m not exactly tired of home, but I’ve lived there for almost my entire life. If anything, this road trip has taught me I need to go out there and see more of what Japan’s got to offer. And then maybe I’ll go further out than that.”

Haruka realises that, even though he and Kisumi can be similar in many ways, they’re also very different. Up until now, Haruka’s never been much of a spontaneous person. Not the person to say, ‘hey, let’s go on a road trip, just pack our bags and go’. He plans things ahead of time, he keeps a schedule… at least _somewhat_ —yes, he tends to take a long time soaking in the bath—but Kisumi takes things as they come. Doesn’t plan ahead, lives in the moment, and does whatever he feels like doing as long as it’s something he _can_ do.

And in a way, Haruka envies him. Wants to experience freedom this way, too, to just be able to leave everything and discover new places for a few days or even weeks. Even if this is a step in Kisumi’s direction, a step along the path he’s chosen, maybe it’s the _right_ step. It might just be what Haruka needs to actually feel free to do as he pleases, and not just in what he chooses to do for a living.

There’s a ryokan closer up to the mountains where Haruka and Kisumi manage to snatch a vacant room for themselves, and as soon as they’ve checked in and gotten settled, the two decide to use the private onsen before dinner. The ryokan is located in a very quaint area, and the general atmosphere is peaceful.

Having discarded his yukata on a stool, Haruka sinks into the water and exhales a sigh of relief. The water splashes a bit when Kisumi joins him, but then it’s almost dead quiet again, apart from the distant sound of crickets.

“You were right, it was a good idea to come here,” Kisumi says, before flinching. “Water might be a little too hot for my taste, though.”

Haruka shrugs, eyes closed. “Perfect for me.”

“Of course it is.”

He opens an eye to see Kisumi having closed his eyes now as well, and he looks relaxed with that signature little smile of his gracing his lips. Haruka finds himself smiling, considering himself lucky to be here. Really, Kisumi’s a hundred percent responsible—Haruka would’ve never thought of just leaving everything and going on a road trip for as long as they wanted.

They’d been lucky to find a ryokan with private baths like this—Haruka’s really not in the mood to sit with a bunch of naked strangers and try to enjoy a bath. (Though, to be fair, is he _ever_?) Apparently, though, sitting in a bath with Kisumi is no big deal. Maybe that’s just because they’ve known each other since way before things like these mattered.

After a bath and dinner, Kisumi and Haruka retreat back to the room, feeling refreshed and full of good food. They’ve been eating so inconsistently that this almost feels foreign now; an authentic, Japanese dinner with everything from tempura to a hot pot and various fancy sushi. It feels nice eating like this, though, and it makes Haruka just a tiny bit homesick.

They’re about to set out their futons, when Haruka’s phone rings. It’s very unexpected seeing as everyone who _should_ know, knows that he’s on a road trip with Kisumi, and that he might not be able to answer the phone. That, and everyone around him knows he hates handling phones or technology at all.

“You not gonna take that?” Kisumi laughs, and Haruka rolls his eyes before going to pick it up. It _might_ be someone—namely, Rin—who won’t stop calling until he picks up, so he might as well. But it turns out to be Makoto on the other end, and Haruka raises his eyebrows in slight surprise.

“Hey, Makoto,” he says.

“ _Haru, hi! Were you asleep? I didn’t mean to wake you._ ”

He sits down on the futon, and Kisumi sits down next to him with a quizzical look on his face. “We’re in Miyazaki, staying at a ryokan for the night. We’ll start driving back north tomorrow, but we don’t know if we’re gonna go home or keep going for a bit until we do.”

“ _It sounds like you’re having fun. Tell Kisumi I said hi_ ,” Makoto says, and Haruka hears the smile in his voice.

“Yeah.” He turns to Kisumi. “Makoto says hi.”

It might be because it’s dark and because Haruka’s tired, but he swears he sees Kisumi flinch for a second before he plasters on a little smile. “Tell Makoto I said hi, too.”

When Kisumi gets up to disappear into the bathroom, Haruka figures it _did_ bother him, and it makes him once again think about their conversation in the car. What _is_ it with him? Why’d he wanna go on this road trip if he’d end up being in such a weird mood? Haruka rarely ever sees Kisumi like this, and now he’s more determined than before to confront Kisumi about it, knowing that he hadn’t misunderstood it last time.

“ _Well, don’t feel like I’m stressing you to get back home, take all the time you need_ ,” Makoto continues, bringing Haruka back into their conversation _._ “ _Honestly, I’m a little jealous; I’d wanna go on a road trip myself. Probably not for as long as you’ve been gone, but still._ ”

“Talk to Rin about it, I’m sure he’d wanna go,” Haruka replies, but he feels like he isn’t quite there for their conversation anymore, as much as he’d want to be. “You could drive up to see your grandparents or something.”

“ _Yeah, I guess I could at least suggest the idea. So, anyway, how’s things going? Where are you now?_ ”

“In Miyazaki, we’re staying at a ryokan for the night. Hey, can I call you tomorrow? I’m really tired, and I just wanna sleep,” he lies. Kisumi has yet to come out of the bathroom, and Haruka hasn’t heard him turn on the shower or anything, not even heard the toilet flush.

“ _Oh! Of course, sorry for keeping you up. Call me whenever you’ve got time. Night!_ ”

Haruka hangs up, and though his heart’s now beating a little faster than it did a few seconds ago, he can’t back away and leave it like last time.

“Hey,” he says, knocking lightly on the door. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Haru,” he hears on the other side. “Just go to sleep.”

He sighs. “You’re clearly not. This is the second time you’ve reacted weirdly whenever Makoto’s been involved. What’s up with you?”

Haruka’s pretty sure he knows what it is, but it sure is a strange way to act if that’s the case. Kisumi seems pissed more than anything, and he doesn’t get flustered or panicky like Haruka would expect people to do when they’re harbouring romantic feelings for someone who’s suddenly brought up or walks in through the door.

“It’s nothing, I think I just have an upset stomach. You can go to bed, Haru, I’ll be okay.”

“You don’t think, in all of these years, that I’ve learnt to spot a lie?” he asks.

This time, it takes Kisumi a while to respond, as if he’s trying to come up with another lie. It wouldn’t surprise Haruka; he’s very similar to Makoto in that regard. Lying to protect himself or the people around him that he cares about. Haruka wonders if that’s just something that comes with being an older sibling—he wouldn’t know since he’s an only child.

“Just go to bed, okay?”

It sounds like he’s begging this time, and Haruka gnaws on his lower lip, frowning with worry. He can handle Makoto like this just fine, and he’s even learnt how to deal with Rin in a similar situation, but not Kisumi. This wasn’t in the Shigino Kisumi instruction manual, though to be fair he may have just jumped past that part a long time ago without the intent of going back to once again familiarise himself with it, with the inner workings of Kisumi.

“I’m not going to bed until you come out here and tell me what’s wrong.” Wow, his past self would stare at him in sheer horror at these words. Maybe even awe. Well, at least this means he’s learnt a thing or two over the years, but he hopes this knowledge and growth will bear fruit in this case where he doesn’t exactly know what to do, and just tries whatever he can.

His heart skips a beat in relief when Kisumi finally does open the door, but he feels like it sinks like a rock when he sees the look on Kisumi’s face.

“So? What’d you want to know?”

Haruka swallows hard, looking up at Kisumi. “I want you to talk to me.”

“About _what_?”

“About Makoto! Why you seem to go from happy to distant, or even angry, as soon as he’s mentioned or when he calls either of us. Why?”

Kisumi sighs exasperatedly, running his fingers through his hair. “Because he’s always there, Haru! Wherever you go, wherever _we_ go! It’s always Makoto, Makoto, Makoto.”

“I thought that’s what you wanted?”

This time, Kisumi _laughs_ , of all things, which takes Haruka aback. “You really don’t get it. I don’t know why I expected you to have figured shit out after all this time, but it seems I made a mistake.”

“How can I improve when you never give me straight answers?”

“Because I shouldn’t _need_ to! Read between the lines!”

Haruka resists the urge to completely blow up on Kisumi, though it’s getting more and more difficult the more they talk about this. They _have_ to, though, which is why Haruka does his best to keep his temper in check.

“I _can’t_ ,” he says. “Not with you. I really want to know what’s going on, but I can’t figure it out. I just wish you’d tell me outright what the hell’s wrong.”

“After all these years, I really shouldn’t have to.”

And with those words, Kisumi stomps away to set his futon. Haruka’s left speechless, but when he does come back to his senses, he goes to prepare his own futon except across the room from Kisumi’s.

 

* * *

 

The next morning as he gets out of bed, Kisumi isn’t in the room. Panic immediately washes away any traces of sleepiness left in Haruka after he’s checked the bathroom, and then he throws on some clothes before leaving the room, barely remembering to lock the door on his way out. One thing he notices as he’s left the ryokan is that Kisumi’s car is still parked outside, so he finds slight relief in the fact that Kisumi can’t have made it very far.

Miyazaki is a _big_ city with lots of people around him hurrying about, and it reminds Haruka of Sydney. The one time he’d been dragged abroad by Rin, and had been left alone for what was realistically probably less than five minutes but felt like hours. This… is way worse. Haruka tries calling Kisumi as he walks down from the ryokan and onto the sidewalk going down into town, but Kisumi’s phone is switched off.

If he’s never been here before, how’s he gonna know where to look? Where to _begin_ searching? Where would Kisumi go if he’s upset? This is one of those things Haruka had skipped in the instruction manual he’d been handed so long ago and just refused to read through properly.

He walks past parks and looks for a flurry of pink hair, but sees none. He peeks into coffee shops he passes, a Seven-Eleven, a Buddhist temple, a hospital—

 _A hospital_.

The thought of Kisumi having gotten himself hurt crosses Haruka’s mind, and he feels like the world stops moving around him as he stops walking, and takes it in. He has absolutely no idea what Kisumi would do if he’s in a bad mood. Haruka feels like he wouldn’t really do anything _violent_ , but really, considering how little Haruka apparently knows about Kisumi, anything could happen.

He tries calling Kisumi again, but gets sent directly to voicemail again. This time, he actually leaves a voicemail, despite his shaky voice that tells him he’s about to break down crying any second now. There’s people walking by him and giving him either wary or sympathetic looks, but Haruka doesn’t pay any attention to them as he starts walking towards the hospital’s entrance.

Haruka hates hospitals. He hates the smell, the atmosphere, the people working there, and the fact that just _being_ in a hospital would most definitely get him sick if he stays too long. It’s ironic, really; a place where you go to get better is the best place to get worse, too.

He nervously asks for a Shigino Kisumi in the reception, and doesn’t know whether he should feel relieved or more worried when the receptionist tells him they don’t have a patient going by that name. Is it possible he might’ve told them a different name, if he knew Haruka would come looking for him? How would he ask her such a thing?

“It’s… it’s a guy with unruly, strawberry gum pink hair,” he begins again. “About a decimetre taller than me?”

The receptionist gives him an apologetic smile. “No, sorry, no one matching that description has been admitted recently. Or ever, really… it’s a very unique look you’re describing.”

Haruka wants to laugh bitterly. Unique, yeah, that’s a good word for Kisumi.

He thanks her with a light bow as he walks out again, and begins walking towards the next hospital across the bridge over the river. Once again, he’s sent to voicemail when he calls Kisumi, but he decides to keep trying. He alternates between sending text messages and calling, and doesn’t _care_ if Kisumi’s going to hate him for the sheer amount of missed calls and messages in his inbox when they reunite. _If_ they do.

The next hospital he walks into gives him the same result; no Kisumi, and his description of Kisumi doesn’t work, either. So he keeps walking, and doesn’t care when his feet start to hurt or when his stomach tells him he needs to eat something. They did have a complimentary breakfast they could’ve grabbed before they left the ryokan, but now neither of them are there for either breakfast or their checkout time.

When Haruka feels like he’s about to faint way past his usual lunch time, he stops by a Seven-Eleven he’s walked past earlier to buy something, and then sits down on a park bench to take a quick rest while eating. His mind is _still_ working on overdrive, trying to figure out places Kisumi could go in a city he’s never been in before.

And that’s when it hits Haruka that he could’ve just asked literally anyone else they know, since he apparently knows Kisumi the least.

He nearly drops his phone onto the ground as he picks it out of his picket with trembling fingers, but he manages to call Makoto.

“ _Hello?_ ”

“Makoto, it’s me,” he almost sobs. “Do you know where Kisumi would go if he’s upset?”

“ _Haru? Wait, what are you talking about? What happened?_ ”

“We had a fight yesterday before bed, and when I woke up this morning, he was gone.”

It feels unreal to give this information to someone close to him, because he knows it’s his fault, as much as he might want to deny that it is. Never in his wildest dreams did he think this is what their road trip would end up like.

“ _Oh_ ,” Makoto says, “ _that… that’s not good. Okay, well, first_ — _calm down. Okay? You won’t be able to think clearly if you’re stressing out and_ —“

“But something could’ve _happened_ to him!” Haruka snaps. He takes a deep breath, and starts over in a softer voice. “Sorry. I’m just… really worried.”

“ _I know, Haru_ ,” Makoto soothes. “ _I am, too. I assume you’ve tried calling him_.”

“I have. Several times. And left messages, voice and text. I’ve walked around for _hours_ , Makoto, I can’t find him. I don’t know what to do.”

Makoto goes silent for a few seconds. “ _I think you should go back to the ryokan. Tell them that he’s gone missing, and that if he comes by, they let you know. If he’s not in by tonight, you go to the police. There’s really no use in wandering around all by yourself in search for him since you don’t know where to look, and you’ve never been there before_.”

Haruka takes a shaky breath, closing his eyes to try and will down the nausea that grows within him. Makoto talks him into a slightly calmer state, so that he can at least walk back to the ryokan without breaking down or doing something dumb he might regret. He knows Kisumi will have to come back eventually since his car is still parked outside, but like Makoto says, if Kisumi doesn’t return within twenty-four hours, Haruka will have to report him missing.

And while Haruka doesn’t want to, he can’t help but wonder what would happen next.

Once back at the ryokan and inside their—or his?—room, still on the phone with Makoto, Haruka sits down on his futon he’d left in a hurry several hours earlier. It feels like he hasn’t been in the room since yesterday.

“ _Try and get some rest for a while_ ,” Makoto says. “ _You must be exhausted_.”

He is. And Haruka knows Makoto isn’t just referring to his aching feet. He wonders if he’ll be able to even fall asleep if he’s worrying like this. How _can_ he sleep, when he doesn’t even know where Kisumi is?

But he lets Makoto talk him into it, and then promises to call back once he’s awake to let Makoto know if things have changed or not. Haruka undresses himself without as much as going to wash his face, and then tries to get some sleep for a few hours.

 

* * *

 

The sound of a door sliding shut wakes Haruka up, and he immediately sits up, ready to chuck his phone at whoever would enter without knocking. His eyes widen when he sees Kisumi by the door, staring back at him.

“Haru, you—“

“Where the fuck have you _been_?!” he immediately bristles. Really, it’s Sousuke’s fault he occasionally lets a curse word slip past his lips; Sousuke’s a bad influence that way. It just comes out, as a mix of relief, anger and confusion washes over him. “I was out for hours looking for you. I thought—I thought… maybe you—“

He can’t bring himself to continue, as big, ugly tears roll down his cheeks, and he starts sobbing uncontrollably. Kisumi nearly stumbles over his own feet as he hurries to sit down by Haruka’s side, and take him into his arms. Haruka’s immediate reaction is to try and push Kisumi away, but Kisumi won’t let him.

“I’m sorry,” Kisumi says into his hair, embracing him tight. “I should’ve left a message. I was angry, and I needed to clear my head and be alone for a few hours. I didn’t want to get more upset with you, so that’s why I left as soon as I could this morning. I’m so sorry, Haru.”

“You… you’re s-such an idiot. Anything could’ve… could’ve h-happened,” Haruka replies. “I went to _hospitals_ looking for you. I w-was going to report you missing to the police. Where _were_ you?”

Kisumi sighs. “I went up to a shrine, and just sat there for a while. Might’ve been an hour or two, I don’t know. Then I just walked around town for a bit, aimlessly, thinking about things. And… I realised I should’ve talked to you, like you said.”

Haruka wipes away the tears on his face, calming himself down with a few deep breaths. “Okay,” is all he says before he lets Kisumi continue whenever he wants to. Because, apparently, _finally_ , he’s willing to talk. All it took was Haruka thinking he might’ve died. No big deal.

“I don’t have feelings for Makoto, but I’m jealous of him,” he begins, and Haruka pulls away to stare at Kisumi in disbelief, as he tries to not look as relieved as he feels at the revelation that Kisumi isn’t in love with Makoto.

“Why?”

“Because… he’s always been close to you. _Always_. It always seemed so easy for him to talk to you, be around you. Ever since we were kids. And so… okay, I’ll admit I kind of tried to use him in order to get to you in middle school, but I felt like that was my one and only chance.”

“The basketball team thing?”

Kisumi nods, not really looking all that proud of it. “Yeah. I thought, if he joined, then maybe you would, too. But then neither of you ended up joining, and it kinda foiled my plans.”

It takes Haruka a few seconds to realise the meaning behind Kisumi’s words, and he actually laughs, which surprises the both of them. “I guess I was way later than you, then.”

“In what way?”

“Realising how I felt about you.”

Kisumi smiles, slightly raising an eyebrow. “All it took was a road trip almost fifteen years later, huh.”

Haruka leans forward to put his forehead against Kisumi’s. “I’m sorry for being so slow. And I’m sorry for not noticing during all these years. But wow, you’ve got some patience.”

“I guess I do, huh,” Kisumi laughs. The sound of it makes Haruka’s heart beat faster, and he almost feels lightheaded.

After going up to the reception to extend their stay by a night, Haruka and Kisumi spend the rest of the afternoon watching crappy shows on TV curled up under Haruka’s blanket on his futon. It’s a very tiny TV screen, but thankfully they don’t have to watch anything with subtitles, so it works out just fine.

Haruka’s sitting between Kisumi’s legs, leaning back against his chest, as Kisumi’s fingers slowly comb through his hair. He knows it’s some sort of apology, and while he can’t really be mad at Kisumi for dealing with his frustration the way he did, he doesn’t really want to tell Kisumi to stop, because it feels good.

“I’m sorry I got so angry at you,” he mumbles, taking Kisumi’s hand and kissing the knuckles softly. “I was just… really worried about you.”

“Honestly, I’d probably react the same way, so it’s fine, really. It was dumb of me to run off like that without at least telling you where I’d go.”

“And that you didn’t want me to go out looking for you.”

Kisumi laughs a little as he gives Haruka’s hand a soft squeeze. “I guess, yeah.”

“I’ve run off like that myself. During my first fight with Makoto, that was how I ended it—I just ran away. I locked myself inside my house until Rin came over and wouldn’t stop ringing my doorbell.”

“Ah,” Kisumi says, “I remember hearing about that.”

There were parts of the trip to Australia that Haruka would never want to experience again, but all in all, he’s glad Rin dragged him out of bed and broke the vicious cycle he’d just about gotten himself into. For a few years after the fact, Haruka had thought of it as bad timing on Rin’s part, but now he finds himself grateful that he hadn’t been left alone for longer than a day after that fight with Makoto.

“So what I’m saying is that… it’s fine. I was upset earlier, but I think you understand why. And I understand why you ran away.”

When they’re tired of watching TV, Haruka and Kisumi decide on going out for dinner in town. Miyazaki city is very different at night, almost like a completely different city. It’s nice, though, despite the large number of people out on the streets. It almost feels like they’re abroad—it definitely doesn’t feel like the country in which they were born with how different things are from Iwatobi.

After dinner, all Haruka really wants is to go back to the ryokan, take a bath, and go to sleep. As fun as Miyazaki has been, he’s very much ready to leave the city and the province behind him to start going back up north, back onto Honshu again.

Instead of immediately going to sleep, they talk. And talk. Haruka’s surprised by just how much they _can_ talk after having been with each other like this for a week and a half now. It’s nice, though, and he definitely gets to know Kisumi on a level he didn’t before. Strange, considering they _do_ hang out regularly these days, unlike in high school when they barely saw each other at all despite having known each other since way before that.

“Kis,” Haruka whispers, and Kisumi squeezes his hand in response. “I’m sorry for not having been interested in getting to know you before.”

“You mean when we were younger?” Kisumi asks, smiling. “It’s okay, it’s in the past, after all.”

Haruka frowns. “It’s not okay. Really, I was an ass to you for really dumb reasons, and I honestly don’t know why you stuck with me for so long.”

“No, I think you do. And truth to be told, I’m glad I did.”

Kisumi props himself up on an elbow before leaning down to press a soft kiss to Haruka’s lips. Haruka closes his eyes, placing a hand on the back of Kisumi’s head to keep him there, and Kisumi hums in response, making Haruka smile. They say it’s better late than never, but Haruka still feels like he needs to make it up to Kisumi, somehow, for all this lost time, all of these years he could’ve paid attention and maybe realised a thing or two a lot sooner.

When they part, Kisumi lies down again, but he doesn’t let go of Haruka’s hand. It’s almost as if he wants to assure Haruka he won’t leave again, and Haruka trusts him not to. Kisumi’s the kind of person who might make mistakes, but he makes them once and then learns from them. If he’s run away once, he won’t do it again if he knows what’ll happen if he does.

It goes silent again, and now their room is completely dark to the point where Haruka can’t see anything. The noise of the crickets has died out a long time ago, and now all he hears is Kisumi’s deep breathing next to him.

 _Oh_.

Haruka sighs to himself. This used to happen during sleepovers when he was young, too. He was always the last one to fall asleep, but the first one to wake up, strangely enough. And it’s been the same during this road trip; Kisumi likes to sleep, and Haruka _can’t_ sleep for very long before his internal alarm clock goes off and wakes him up.

Turning to lie on his side, he realises Kisumi’s scooted closer to him, properly surprising Haruka when their faces are now but a few inches apart. Kisumi breathes deeply, his nasal exhales fanning across Haruka’s face, which makes Haruka smile. Kisumi is beautiful like this, when he’s asleep, his muscles are relaxed, and when he isn’t trying to be someone else. Haruka may be oblivious at times, but when it comes to his closest friends, he’s fairly perceptive.

Haruka reaches out a tentative hand to touch Kisumi’s face, his fingertips barely touching the smooth skin. He slowly runs a thumb over Kisumi’s eyelid, thinking how jealous he is of Kisumi’s naturally long and slightly curled eyelashes. He’s beautiful, Haruka thinks, and he feels lucky to be here with Kisumi right now. Kisumi stirs a bit in his sleep, and Haruka pulls back a bit to watch Kisumi grimace a bit before opening his eyes.

“Hey,” he says. “Why’d you stop?”

“Stop what?”

Kisumi hums, closing his eyes again. “What you were doing with your fingers. I liked it.”

Haruka shakes his head, smiling again. This time when he leans in, Kisumi lifts both of his arms to put them around Haruka’s neck, pulling him close.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up, doing this,” he mumbles, smiling a little.

“Yeah, I know.”

 

* * *

 

Haruka and Kisumi leave Kyushu behind as they enter the Kanmon tunnel that connects Kyushu with Honshu. It’s been a nice almost two weeks on the road, but they both agree that it’s probably about time to start heading back home. They’ll still make two more stops on the way back to Tottori, but it’ll take them at most three days before they’ll be back.

It feels strange, though, and while they _should_ head back home, Haruka almost doesn’t want to. He’s pretty much gotten used to constantly being on the move, experiencing new places, being with Kisumi like this. It isn’t as if they didn’t hang out before, but this road trip has certainly changed things between them in that regard. Haruka knows they won’t just be ‘hanging out’ from now on, and that’s just one of the nice things he takes with him from this trip.

Haruka reports to the others back home while Kisumi’s driving, telling them they’re on the way back. He knows they have a big thing to explain to their friends once they come back, but that isn’t something he’s all that worried about. Now that he thinks about it, he’s pretty sure the others already thought they were dating, or that they’ve been expecting it.

This trip has really served as an eye-opener—Haruka would’ve definitely realised it a lot later otherwise. And god knows he’s put Kisumi through a lot already.

Kisumi and Haruka stop about four hours away from Iwami, in a very sparsely populated area with more temples around than they know what to do with. It’s peaceful, and a pretty good way to finish off their road trip across southern Japan. This is definitely something Haruka wants to do again, though next time maybe go north instead.

They’ll be home the next evening, and it feels a little sad, though also kind of nice to be able to sleep in their own beds again. Permanence certainly isn’t bad, but Haruka’s definitely become interested in travelling like this, experiencing several different places in a short amount of time. It’s the complete opposite of what he’s used to, but it’s refreshing, and has definitely given him a new perspective on things.

“Looking forward to going back home?”

Haruka’s brought back to reality by Kisumi’s voice, and he looks to his side. This might just be the cheesiest thing he’s ever done, but it’s actually really nice to just lie in the grass and look up at the stars. They’re not too far away from the hotel they’re staying at for the night, but they’ve found an area private enough for this, for just the two of them. It isn’t that Haruka’s ashamed of people seeing him, or them, like this, but it’d still be uncomfortable if people were to walk by and stare at them.

Kisumi’s fingers interlace with his in the grass, and Haruka exhales slowly through his nose, looking up at the sky again. “Kind of.”

“Yeah, same here.”

“We should do this twice a year,” Haruka suggests. “Once in summer, and once in fall just before snow starts falling, so we can go somewhere it _doesn’t_ snow.”

“Haru,” Kisumi laughs, “my car wouldn’t be able to handle that. And there’s _definitely_ snow in all regions at some point. You live in the wrong country if you don’t want snow.”

“We could take _my_ car. Or, let’s just move somewhere it doesn’t snow.”

Really, it’s been a dream of his since childhood to one day move to a place where they barely even know what snow looks or feels like. It’s the same kind of struggle every single year that Haruka always hates having to put up with, and it doesn’t go by a snow season without him slipping and falling at least once. If bruises never went away, his ass and legs would be completely covered by this point.

“You dream big, huh.”

“Unless you like snow?”

Kisumi shrugs, and decides to lie on his side instead so he can play with Haruka’s hair, something Haruka’s quickly learnt to be something Kisumi seems to really like doing, and something that he doesn’t mind himself. “Snow is okay as long as there isn’t too much of it. Though, really—I could move anywhere if you’d wanna move. Home is wherever I’m with you.”

Haruka quickly sits up since he inhales so sharply his saliva goes down the wrong pipe, and after a few coughs, he stares at Kisumi. “What the hell was _that_?”

“I know, it was too cheesy even for me,” Kisumi says, and laughs again. “I don’t think I’d be ready to leave Iwatobi just like that, at least not right now, considering work and all that. But maybe one day.”

 _Maybe one day_. Haruka likes the sound of that; it’s open-ended, ambiguous, doesn’t get his hopes up too high but keeps them at a reasonable level. “Yeah, you’re right.”

 

* * *

 

Haruka can’t deny the little jump in disappointment his heart does when he starts recognising things around them. They’ve spent most of this car ride back to Tottori in silence, and Haruka figures Kisumi feels pretty much the same way he does. If only they could afford to take more time off work they could’ve just continued driving, but things are never quite that easy.

It’s a Saturday, so they’ll have all Sunday to rest up before going into work on Monday, and Haruka feels like he’ll really need it. Not so much because he’s been missing out on a lot of sleep during this road trip, because he hasn’t, but because he’ll want to properly land back at home before starting life back up again.

He’s almost tempted to _not_ let people know they’re back home, since he’s pretty sure they’ll want to meet up tonight to talk about what they’ve done and experienced these past two weeks. But Haruka does send a short text to his friends on the behalf of both him and Kisumi saying ‘ _home now_ ’ and nothing else, just as he sees the ‘ _Welcome to Tottori_ ’ sign. Not long now before they reach Iwatobi, before they’re back home again. Haruka sighs.

“Next summer, I say we take off an entire month. We work our asses off until then so we can afford doing so, and then we’ll just go wherever we want. Sound good to you?”

Haruka looks at Kisumi, and he smiles a little. “It does. It’s just a shame it won’t happen for another year.”

“Well, now we have something to look forward to, right?”

Kisumi drops him off at home, but not before Haruka leans in for a kiss. “See you soon,” Kisumi says.

“Yeah.”

It’s a promise, and it’s something Haruka looks forward to.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://radiodread.tumblr.com)


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